


Give Me Names and I'll Give You Blood

by buttstrife (orphan_account)



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - Historical, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2015-11-28
Packaged: 2018-05-03 18:13:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5301692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/buttstrife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On Sanghyuk's agenda: retrieve an important document, eliminate an important military leader and try not to fall too hard for your fellow assassin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Give Me Names and I'll Give You Blood

Climbing from one rooftop to the other, trying to catch up to his much faster target, Sanghyuk knows that he’s going to fail this mission. He doesn’t stop running though, not even when every breath feels like a stab to the lungs, not until he completely loses sight of the target and his feet stutter to a stop beside the Han River that separates the two districts.

Squatting by the river bank, he washes away the residues of blood from his single-edged sword, not wanting to go back to headquarters early. Hakyeon and the rest of the assassins will be disappointed.

By the time the sun has set, Sanghyuk begins the trudge back to headquarters, a small building on the outskirts of the city. He steals an apple from a merchant selling his wares on an outside table, moving about unnoticed thanks to the cover of night and his relative talent for stealth.

He forgoes knocking on the locked door. Most of the time, the others are out, having their own errands to run. Sneaking in through the windows on the second level, Sanghyuk makes it one step in before a hand wraps around his throat, a life-threatening dagger poised right beside.

“It’s just me,” Sanghyuk says, pushing his hood off, before Hakyeon releases him.

“You’re back earlier than expected,” Hakyeon says, moving away. “Did you get the letter?”

Shaking his head, Sanghyuk replies, “No, they were too fast. I’m sorry, but I don’t think you should delegate important tasks to me. I’m not very good at them.” He begins stripping off his assassin garb, although he doesn’t feel safe without at least one of his trusty weapons equipped. Surveying the room, he notices that an asleep Hongbin is also at home. Sanghyuk tries to not dump his garments everywhere, because Hongbin is the only one who actually keeps their small headquarters clean and organized, and he doesn’t want to be the one to give Hongbin more unnecessary work.

Hakyeon says, “You’ll do what is asked of you. Everyone has to start somewhere, and even if you’re terrible at the beginning, we won’t always be so lenient with you, so get your shit together. I don’t want to be the one to kick you back onto the streets.”

Sanghyuk nods, watching Hakyeon go back to his desk and write down notes under the flickering candlelight. Unfurling his sleeping mat beside Hongbin’s, he bids Hakyeon goodnight and goes to sleep.

 

*

 

Sanghyuk wonders if cross-dressing as part of an undercover mission is some type of punishment for his earlier failures, but then he looks at the rest of his group of assassins and decides that all of them are suffering, except for Taekwoon who refused (and got away with refusing) and Jaehwan, who seems to be entirely too excited to be in a female hanbok.

After fixing his long-haired wig, Sanghyuk links his arm with Hongbin’s. Hongbin, handsome as a man, gorgeous as a woman, gives him a brief smile, reassuring.

The party organised by the military had invited the rich upper class to celebrate. It was Sanghyuk’s and the others’ job to infiltrate and kill select few members who were unlucky enough to be on the shit list of very rich and angry people.

Forging an invitation for people who did not exist had been easy enough; getting inside the building undetected by guards was too. It’s only when they have to split up, with Sanghyuk pairing up with Hongbin that the panic sets in.

Hongbin pats his arm, whispering, “We’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” Sanghyuk wants to believe him, but none of his missions so far have gone well and he doesn’t want to rope Hongbin in to his bad luck.

They spot their target, Kim Taesung, a severe commander who has more enemies than allies and allegedly enjoys torturing his subordinates, on the balcony overlooking the gardens.

A lot of forced giggling on Sanghyuk’s part and a lot of winks and smiles on Hongbin’s part garners the attention of the target. There are a few bystanders on the balcony, so they can’t kill him with too much of a commotion.

Sanghyuk moves close to Taesung, who comments, “You’re very tall for a woman.”

Sanghyuk laughs, a fake cheery smile on his face. “I get that a lot,” he says, preparing the hidden blade device that’s hidden by the sleeve of his hanbok.

But then he sees Taesung grab a handful of Hongbin’s ass and all their planning goes to shit because Sanghyuk sees red for a moment and slashes Taesung’s neck in plain sight of everyone. It’s only a superficial slash, the kind where he wants the victim to suffer for what little while they’re still alive for. Sanghyuk hears a woman scream and shouting from others, as his free hand wraps around the hilt of his twin daggers and twists them into the target’s eyes, slamming it past bone and flesh.

A tugging at his sleeve stops Sanghyuk from revelling in his bloodlust. Patting at the weapons that are covered by his hanbok, he looks at Hongbin, who’s obviously displeased at the turn of events. “We need to go,” Hongbin says, motioning to the garden below the balcony, “ _now_.”

There’s guards streaming in from the adjoining rooms, even colleagues of the deceased man rushing in to futilely defend him. After using a smoke bomb to buy them some time, Sanghyuk throws his legs over the ledge, grabs onto the nearby windowsill and makes his descent to the ground level. Following behind, Hongbin drops to the ground beside Sanghyuk.

“Should we wait for the others?” Sanghyuk asks, tearing off the hanbok to reveal clothing more suited to free-running and parkour.

“No,” Hongbin replies, also removing his formal attire and wig albeit in a less hurried fashion. “They’ll be fine. We need to leave right now. They saw our faces and there’s no doubt they’ll hang us if they catch us.”

A guard spots them by the wall and opens his mouth to heckle at them, already unsheathing his sword, when Hongbin speeds towards him and snaps his neck in a clean manoeuvre that Sanghyuk has never been able to copy.

Sanghyuk finds it amusing how even the most beautiful people can perform the ugliest acts of life.

With no other guards following after them, they race unnoticed past the bushes to outside the villa and begin merging themselves with the throngs of people in the city.

Hongbin grabs a hold of Sanghyuk’s hand and says, “Don’t get lost.”

Sanghyuk slips his fingers between Hongbin’s, ignoring the questioning glance that Hongbin shoots him. It’s nowhere as romantic as Sanghyuk had imagined their first hand-holding would be; they walk fast enough to outpace the guards and civilians without calling too much attention to themselves, but Sanghyuk still has the thought of murder on his mind.

“There’s many reasons why none of us have given up on you,” Hongbin tells him when they slow down upon reaching the outskirts. There’s nary a soul at this hour so far from the protection of the city. “You’re talented with many weapons and you’re quick-thinking. You’re definitely younger than any of us when we first became assassins but you act maturely enough that none of us have to lecture you on how to act. Even if you might’ve given up on yourself, know that none of us have given up on you.”

Sanghyuk accepts Hongbin’s words with a guileless smile.

They lie down on the bed beside each other. Hongbin is already asleep, curled on his side, when Sanghyuk hears the commotion of the others returning, Wonshik’s voice audible as he declares his kills for the night. Although Sanghyuk isn’t used to being an assassin just yet, still always surprised by the bloodlust that consumes him, still always tired and muscles aching from the amount of running and climbing that comes with traversing quickly and furtively, he’s thankful that at least now he has a home and family.

After giving Hakyeon the rundown on what had happened to him and Hongbin, he heads to sleep next to Hongbin, trying not to spoon him as much as he might want to. Barely awake, Sanghyuk feels Hongbin grab a hold of his hand, bringing Sanghyuk’s arm forward so that it wraps around Hongbin’s waist. Sanghyuk’s chest presses against Hongbin’s back, and the gentle contact is an unfamiliar but welcome respite.


End file.
